The novella Turn of the Screw was written by Henry James and originally published in 1898. The story is a ghost tale, involving a Governess and two children. There is much debate to whether the Governess in this story is sane or insane. According to Oxford Dictionaries, insanity is a “state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, and social interaction” (Oxford Dictionaries). The Governess can be considered insane since she has disturbed perceptions, exhibits abnormal behavior, and has unnatural social interactions. The Governess is insane since her perception is impaired. Throughout the novel, the Governess claims that there are ghosts haunting her and the children. For example, while the Governess, Mrs. Grose, and Flora are by
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The Governess has issues conveying her feelings and making rational decisions. When the Governess consults Mrs. Grose about seeing the ghosts, Mrs. Grose suggests contacting the Uncle for assistance. However, the Governess refuses to bother the Uncle, since she wants to maintain her undertaking to “give [the Uncle] no worry” (James 48). Although this seems noble on the outside, there is no rationality to this decision. If any other sane person were in charge, they would have contacted the Uncle immediately if they believed ghosts to be threatening the safety of the children. After all, the Uncle is the only family the children have. However, the Governess cannot see this point and is blinded by her love for the Uncle. Instead of admitting her desire for him, she risks the safety of the children just to impress him. The Governess also interacts abnormally when she encounters the ghost of Miss Jessel. When she thinks she sees Miss Jessel in the room, the Governess addresses her, “You terrible… woman!” (James 58). The Governess not only believes in ghosts, but she tries to interact with them. She believes they can communicate with her and tries to talk to them. Normally, people would be startled by a ghost’s presence and flee, not start talking to the ghost. This shows how much the Governess’s belief in these ghosts has changed her ability to act and make decisions in a natural
The Governess has issues conveying her feelings and making rational decisions. When the Governess consults Mrs. Grose about seeing the ghosts, Mrs. Grose suggests contacting the Uncle for assistance. However, the Governess refuses to bother the Uncle, since she wants to maintain her undertaking to “give [the Uncle] no worry” (James 48). Although this seems noble on the outside, there is no rationality to this decision. If any other sane person were in charge, they would have contacted the Uncle immediately if they believed ghosts to be threatening the safety of the children. After all, the Uncle is the only family the children have. However, the Governess cannot see this point and is blinded by her love for the Uncle. Instead of admitting her desire for him, she risks the safety of the children just to impress him. The Governess also interacts abnormally when she encounters the ghost of Miss Jessel. When she thinks she sees Miss Jessel in the room, the Governess addresses her, “You terrible… woman!” (James 58). The Governess not only believes in ghosts, but she tries to interact with them. She believes they can communicate with her and tries to talk to them. Normally, people would be startled by a ghost’s presence and flee, not start talking to the ghost. This shows how much the Governess’s belief in these ghosts has changed her ability to act and make decisions in a natural